Here on Kauai, where we rely on “coconut wireless” to stay informed with on-the-ground insights, the closure of one of Poipu’s best-kept secrets has left the community deeply concerned. News coverage has offered some tidbits, but larger questions linger over what will become of this unique cultural and ecological landmark under its current owner, billionaire Steve Case’s Grove Farm.
Breaking: This was just revised based on new information we received. See Public Outcry Wins? Kauai’s Makauwahi Cave Reopening Despite Big Money Interests.
As Hawaii’s largest limestone cave and a rich repository of Pacific fossils, Makauwahi Cave Reserve has been a place of learning, restoration, culture, and local pride for decades. But the abrupt closure has sparked fears beyond what many may see, and beyond this prized location itself.
From a legacy of conservation and community.
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Makauwahi Cave is a place BOH editors have repeatedly visited, but it hasn’t always been the cherished sanctuary of recent times. In the 1990s, Dr. David Burney and his wife, Lida, began their mission to restore and preserve this long-neglected area. What started as a graffitied, overgrown site along a dirt road near the Grand Hyatt Kauai at Mahaulepu, slowly transformed under their stewardship into a “living museum” showcasing Hawaii’s ancient biodiversity.
The Burneys, with help from hundreds of volunteers, including visitors, reintroduced nearly 100 native plant species, restored the dunes, and cared for endangered waterbirds and other species. The reserve became a testament to what a small Kauai community united in a common purpose might achieve.
“Our work was a labor of love,” said David Burney in a recent online statement. “It’s heartbreaking to leave after 33 years, but we can’t sustain the reserve without funding and a secure lease. It feels like letting go of a canoe and hoping someone else will paddle it.”
The Burneys’ sentiments reflect the attachment felt by many who have contributed to the site and now worry about what may come without a clear management plan.
Grove Farm’s silence and growing fears of commercial exploitation.
Since taking control of the site, Grove Farm has offered no insight into its intentions for the reserve. Last year, the company switched the Burneys’ lease to a month-to-month agreement that blocked all access to critical conservation grants. Without funding, the reserve was inevitably forced to shut down, leaving native plants to die without irrigation and putting decades of conservation efforts at risk of being undone.
Residents have begun expressing their fears and frustration over the lack of transparency. Many worry that Grove Farm’s silence signals plans for another development, raising concerns that this unique cultural and ecological site may face commercial threats.
“Why can’t they just tell us their intentions?” asked a local commenter online, echoing a common sentiment among residents. The potential loss of this land to development represents more than just the end of a tourist site; it feels like a loss of Kauai’s heritage.
For others, the site’s closure feels like a disregard for local values and identity. Jennifer De Grassi Williams, a longtime volunteer, posted on social media, “We’ve dedicated years to this reserve. Seeing it neglected is devastating, especially when we know what it takes to keep it thriving.”
Ecological impacts of abandonment.
Makauwahi Cave Reserve was more than a tourist attraction; it was an ecosystem brought back to life through careful planning and community involvement. The site’s tortoises, affectionately known as “nature’s lawnmowers,” were crucial in controlling invasive plants. With the reserve closed and the tortoises re-homed, volunteers now fear invasive species will swiftly take over, erasing years of restoration efforts.
Grove Farm’s decision to cut off irrigation has left the site’s rare native plants vulnerable, adding urgency to the Kauai community’s call for action.
A call for transparency and preservation.
With Makauwahi Cave Reserve’s closure, Kauai will lose a place where people can connect with Hawaii’s natural history. Community members are now pushing Grove Farm to engage in transparent dialogue and recognize the significance of preserving Makauwahi.
Residents are also concerned that if this Kauai gem cannot be preserved, what will that mean for other island treasures?
Amid the outpouring of recent support for the reserve, there remains a glimmer of hope that Grove Farm will honor the conservation legacy that has made Makauwahi Cave a sanctuary rather than just another number on a profit sheet.
We welcome your input!
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If there are lands that are important for cultural and ecological and societal reasons then they should be publicly owned and maintained. Why should any private owner be forced to maintain their land for the public’s use and benefit?
Private owners controlling lands that are important for cultural and ecological and societal reasons, should voluntarily enter into agreements with the county, state, or federal government to either arrange for the purchase of the lands or lease them in perpetuity to the appropriate governmental entity. The only other recourse is an eminent domain proceeding which is time-consuming and costly for all involved.
I agree that the government needs to be in control of the lands that are culturally or ecologically important. And, not just in control but properly managed. I know that I, at one time, owned so ecologically sensitive lands. I asked our local county officials to waive or reduce the property taxes on the strip that I was willing to fence off from cattle access. Never received even the courtesy of a response.
The state has got to get involved to keep the cave accessible to the public and bring back the tortoises! All of it needs to be preserved. I fear for the Kauai community. Fight!
“Residents are also concerned that if this Kauai gem cannot be preserved, what will that mean for other island treasures?”
Don’t be blind. Many of Kauai’s natural treasures have been fenced off from the public. Waterfalls, beaches, viewpoints and more.
Please do your homework and list all the places people used to be able to frequent and can no longer go. I’d be willing to bet that you cannot list them all.
The rich are getting richer and they are getting the common man under their thumb.
If it’s such a culturally and environmentally significant piece of land, it should belong to the Kingdom of Hawaii.
Grove farm only cares about the bottom line. They are selling off all their properties and cashing out of hawaii. As the chair of the forestry committee we tried tried for years to take over a lease for a demonstration site in kipu only for them to sell the land to someone who has now let the property go wild.
This breaks my heart! Why do billionaires get a pass to come in and stomp all over the land and our history?
Is this the same cave in the filming of Gilligan’s Island? Looks familiar.
My wife and I spent many hours working at the Cave and restoring native vegetation at the Field of Dreams. Following this story is just devastating. Cutting off the water and letting everything go back to weeds. Why? Maybe another go at a dairy farm? Sad.
As Joni Mitchell told us:
” Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot”
This article makes me so very sad! I never heard of this sanctuary until today. I am praying for all of you 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Such tragic news – we also have visited the cave and “met” the tortoises (those who chose to be visible, that is). It was so refreshing to see the work of the Burney’s and volunteers, trying to reestablish native habitats. We certainly hope that the Grove Farm plans include saving this magical place.
Mahalo for all you can do.
If it has cultural and historical significance, why doesn’t Kauai or the state/federal government take control of the site like they do for “eminent domain” at other locations?
Billionaire Steve Case needs More money (hilarious!) and ways to wriggle out of paying Any taxes to the IRS syndicate. Soon, Makauwahi Reserves and all the land owned by Steve Case’s Grove Reserve enterprise will become a gigantic strip mall or housing development.
That is a very sad state of affairs. We have been visiting Kauai since our honeymoon there in 1982. We have visited the Cave many times since then and have had the chance to talk to David Burney a number of times as well.
Please, please give David all the support you can. And someone who knows Steve Case personally, beg him to reconsider his lease arrangement with David Burney. This is such a major loss of a marvelous part of the island!